by Joy Blood
“Brook,” I warn, taking another sip. “Don’t be a shit.”
“Just saying.” She shrugs.
It takes her a few minutes to finish off the bagel, and when she does, I toss my coffee aside and start up my bike to get back on the road and the torture of her arms wrapped around my middle.
The day drags on. By the time the moon is shining bright in the inky night, we reach the outskirts of Cental. I park my bike and lead Brook into the back entrance of the hospital Ari told us to use.
When we reach Gin’s room, it doesn’t surprise me to see Jake outside his door and Grace hunched over his unmoving body. “Still no change,” Jake whispers to me as I walk through the door, Brook right behind me.
“Hey, Grace. Brought someone to visit.” I place my hand softly on the center of Grace’s back. They were married almost three years ago, and she’s already at his bedside while he fights for his life. Her tear-soaked, red-rimmed eyes meet mine, then drift to Brook.
“Oh, Brook,” she sobs. “You came.” Grace rises from her perch on the bed and throws her arms around the unsuspecting girl to my right.
“Yeah. Wouldn’t miss it,” Brook says, making me damn near smack the back of her head on reflex. Grace pulls away and looks at her, a stunned expression on her wet face. “Oh, no. Sorry. Shoot, I didn’t mean it like that.” Brook tries reversing her words and I calm slightly. “I’m sorry. I only meant…I’m sorry,” she tries again. Grace forces a smile and grips Brook’s arms tight in her hands before returning to her place by Gin’s side.
“Where is my brother?” Brook asks, turning to me, but Jake is already there answering.
“Should be here in the mornin’. Kid passed out after takin’ the pills the docs give him,” he rasps, swallowing heavily, then taking a swig of water.
“He’s at home.” This from Grace. “You are welcome to stay there too, Brook. For as long as you need.” She lifts her head long enough to speak, then goes quiet again. Brook doesn’t respond, just walks out the door. Jake shoots me a sucks-to-be-you look and proceeds to guarding the door as I follow the stubborn little shit out of the hospital and back to my bike. I was hoping to leave her here and head to the clubhouse.
“You want a ride home?”
“That house isn’t my home. I don’t want to stay there.”
“Well…where should I drop you off? You got any friends around here you can stay with?”
She laughs, but it sounds sardonic. “Yeah, it’s past midnight. I would like to roll up to a long lost friend’s house and say, ‘Hey, remember me? Can I crash on your couch?’ That would go over well,” she snorts.
“How about Vin and Ellie’s? You like them, don’t you?” I need to get her dropped off somewhere.
“Take me to your place,” she states, as if it wouldn’t be the most inappropriate thing in the fucking world—which it fucking is.
“Fuck no. Wouldn’t do that, even if I had one. You know what?” I grind my teeth together, thinking quickly. “Get on the bike.”
“Where are you going to take me?” I don’t answer. Instead, I pull her over to my bike and shove the helmet at her.
“Put it on and let’s go,” I demand, swinging my leg over.
“No.” The look I give her must be enough to bring on fear because she stops her defiant stance and slowly climbs onto the back of the bike.
About fucking time she listened.
Six
Brook
The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach grows when we turn down the gravel road leading to Gin and Grace’s house. I should have known he would bring me here. He wants to get rid of me. Reluctantly, I take my hands from him as he rolls to a stop in front of the house I spent so little time in. I don’t get a chance to talk to him or even thank him for the ride before he’s pealing out and driving back down the driveway away from me. “Jerk,” I mumble, starting toward the house. It’s the same as when I left. The closer I get, I notice the crack is still in the window of the living room—the one I put there the night I left this place and never looked back.
The bang sounds behind me as I storm into the house, Gin hot on my heels. Next, my bedroom door slams shut. I can’t face him right now. I’m too embarrassed. “Open your door, Brooklyn,” Gin yells from the other side, pounding his fist into the wood.
“What the hell is going on?” I hear Grace ask him from the other side.
“You want to open the door and tell Grace what you went and did, Brooklyn?” God, I hate it when he uses my full name.
“Go away!” I call back. I need to get out of here. I can’t show my face in school again. I don’t even want to look at Gin. What the hell is Grace going to think? We started getting along, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could begin to feel good about being here. I was starting to fit in, then I went and fucked it up.
Grabbing my bag from the small closet, I toss handfuls of my clothes in. The hammering on the door intensifies, until the hinges splinter from the doorjamb and Gin comes bursting inside, Grace right behind him. It takes him just seconds to realize what I’m doing before he starts yelling again. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“I’m leaving. I’m going to go stay with Mom. I don’t have to stay here.” I have no clue what I’m stuffing inside the bag. It could be socks for all I know.
“You think your mom wants you, little girl? Why the hell do you think she dumped you and your brother off with me?” Gin bellows, making me flinch at his cruel words. I know why we got dropped off here. It was because Mom’s new boyfriend didn’t like kids, but maybe if I’m good, she’ll let me stay. Grace tries to talk Gin down, but her words fall on deaf ears. “She can’t just leave, babe,” he growls, using a softer tone for her.
“Mom said I could stay with her if I wanted to,” I lie, hoping when I do get to California, where I found out she moved to, she won’t make me leave.
“I’m sure she fuckin’ did. Fine, you want to go live with her, go right ahead.” He throws his hands up and walks out of the room. I glance back, and Grace is still at my door, not saying a word. I shove the last of my things into my bag, then zip it up and throw it over my shoulder before storming out of my room. Grace lets me through the broken door, and to my surprise, blocks Gin from coming after me. He still shouts, but I can’t hear him past the pounding in my ears. When I reach the living room, I catch sight of Tanya and Jason in the kitchen. Jason is clutching Tanya to his chest, and the small tears welling in her eyes make my heart drop. Yet another thing I fail at: being a good big sister to my brother and stepsister. They won’t have to deal with me anymore, and they’ll be better off. So will Gin and Grace. Less stress when I’m gone.
“Brooklyn! You walk out of this house, you aren’t welcome back in it!” Gin calls out, and Grace gasps.
“Gin. Don’t…” she whispers.
“This is it, babe. She walks out, she doesn’t get to come back. She wants to live with her mom, that’s what she’ll do.” His voice is harsh and only solidifies that I need to go.
“Don’t worry. I won’t come back.” I turn and leave the house, slamming the door behind me. The crack of glass fracturing catches my ears. When I glance back, the picture window in the living room has a long crack along the bottom, matching the one that became even bigger between Gin and I tonight. I pull out my phone and call one of the people who contributed to the mess I’m in.
“Hey-lo,” Parker answers as I start walking down the long driveway.
“I need a ride,” is all I say. He’s leaving town tomorrow. Heading to California. Unfortunately, he’s my best shot.
“Where to?”
“Take me to Cali with you.” His laughter fills my ear, and I want so much to reach through the phone and punch him in the face.
“You owe me, Parker. It’s your fault I have to leave.” There’s a long pause, then he lets out a defeated sigh.
“Fine. Be at my place by nine. If you aren’t, I’m leaving without you.” He cuts off the
conversation, ending the call before I can ask him to pick me up.
It took me hours to get to Parker’s place, but I got there in time to catch that ride to California. He dropped me off at my mom’s house, but that only lasted so long before boyfriend number I-don’t-even-fucking-know moved in and started to take notice of me more than her. It seems like an eternity ago that it happened. If Gin wakes up, I wonder if he’ll make me leave. He did tell me I couldn’t come back through this door again. The door I’m standing in front of. The door I can’t bring myself to walk through. I stare at it like maybe something will appear from inside. Nothing does, though. The distant rumble of Sage’s bike has drifted off, but I swear I can still hear it. That low grumble rings in my ears after having been on the back of it for the last two days.
Deciding I’m not going to stick around, I start back down the driveway, much like I did over five years ago, and head off into the dark.
Seven
Sage
I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. I was standing there, bottle gripped in my hand, dick out, Bex down on her knees, wet, willing, and ready to suck me off—and all I could do was think about the way I dumped Brook and left. She’s where she belongs, so why the fuck am I back on my bike, driving toward Gin’s house for the second time tonight? Because I’m a dumbass.
When my headlight falls on her tiny frame walking down the highway, her arms clutched close to her chest for warmth, I know I made the right decision. Even if it isn’t the real reason I came back, I’m going to roll with it.
“Should have fuckin’ known you would try to run again.” Nothing comes out of that smartass mouth of hers when she looks up at me. Through the moonlight, I can just make out the puffiness of her eyes and tear stained cheeks. Fucking hell. “Come on, kid. Get on.” I reach back, grab the helmet from my saddlebag, and hand it to her. Without a word, she takes it and places it over her head before pulling herself onto my bike behind me. No more words are spoken as I turn around and head back toward the clubhouse. Her soft body heating my back tenses the closer we get, then relaxes slightly when I ride past the gate—until I pull into Rock’s driveway.
“What is this place?” she asks as I park in front of a small guest house within walking distance of the clubhouse.
“Rock had it built when his place was finished. It’s for the visiting club’s families. So they don’t have to stay in the clubhouse if they don’t want to. Mainly his in-laws.” I let her off the bike and stow away my helmet before following her to the front door. Buggs keeps the place nice and clean so it’s no surprise to find it spotless and smelling like I dipped my nose in a scented candle.
“This place is nice,” Brook says in almost wonderment.
“Buggs is in charge of it. ‘Course it is.” I let out a chuckle and take a look around. Warm colors bathe the living room as Brook walks farther into the cabin and flicks on the lights. Generic paintings line the walls, as if we’re in some sort of bed and breakfast. “You can take whatever room you want. Just do me a favor, kid.” She turns to regard me, hand on her hip, probably mad I called her kid again.
“And what would that be?”
“Stay here. Don’t try running off, okay?”
“I can do that.” She nods, and I take that as my cue to leave. “Aren’t you going to stay? Make sure I don’t run off?”
Shaking my head, I turn and force myself from the guest house, closing the door behind me. The thought of cementing it shut crosses my mind for a moment—not to keep her in, but to keep me out—but I keep going.
I straddle my bike, ready to get the fuck out of here, when Rock’s voice comes from the dark. “You having her stay here?” he asks, lighting a cigarette. The bright flicker of the lighter gives his position away.
“I took her home, but she didn’t stay long. Found the little shit walking halfway to town.”
“Makes you think she’ll stay this time?” The orange ember gets closer, until his face comes into view just feet from me.
“Not a damn thing. I’m just hoping since it’s close to the club she won’t get very far.”
“Maybe. Or you could stay here. Make sure she don’t leave,” he suggests, and I inwardly groan.
“If that’s what you want me to do.”
He nods as he takes another drag and blows it out. “Rather she be watched if she’s a flight risk. Don’t want her runnin’ off in case whoever shot Gin isn’t done.”
“You think the prick will be going for his family?”
Rock shrugs. “The shot on Jay wasn’t an accident. The bullet hit its target. Shooter could be gunning for the whole family.”
“Shit. Yeah. I hear ya. Who has Tanya?”
“Vin. That little girl will be looked after, and Grace has Jake watching her back at the hospital. Know that woman ain’t leavin’ Gin’s side unless someone drags her away.”
I nod in understanding. “I’ll see you in the mornin’ then,” I tell Rock as I swing my leg off my bike and start toward the cabin again. Fuck. Maybe I can talk Ringer into babysitting duty tomorrow. It seems the farther I get from Brook, the closer we’re brought back together. Not good.
Not even a little bit.
Eight
Brook
The front door of the small guesthouse opens, and I almost choke on my bite of cereal when Sage comes walking through. My hand to my chest, I try to cough the milk out of the wrong pipe. “Holy shit. I thought you left,” I rasp between coughs, and Sage comes to my aid, smacking my back a couple times. “You know that doesn’t help,” I grumble.
“No. But it makes me feel better,” he says, stepping aside. “Who eats cereal at two in the morning?”
“I’m hungry. You didn’t stop anywhere to feed me all day, and there isn’t much in the kitchen. I was surprised to find the milk wasn’t past the expiration.” I point down at the date on the small half gallon. “I still have a week to finish it.” I shoot him a smile and take another hefty bite. I’m at the bottom now, at the soggy parts, so I eat quickly.
“Should’ve said something, I would have stopped.”
I shrug and finish off the leftover milk, then get up from the table to rinse out the bowl.
“Why are you back here?” I ask him as I start toward the room I already picked out. I flip on the light as he starts flicking off the other lights in the small house.
“Pres wanted me to stay. Make sure you don’t run.”
“Whatever,” I mumble under my breath, rolling my eyes.
“That sass again.” My head snaps to the door where I find him leaning on the jamb, sleeves rolled up to expose those forearms, and his cut unbuttoned underneath crossed arms. “Go to bed. Unless you want a spankin’ before you do?” he challenges.
The memory of him slapping his palm against my ass has me almost combusting, but I shake my head.
“That’s what I thought. Get some sleep.” He closes the door behind him with more force than needed and his footsteps thunder down to the other room.
I wake bright and early and go out to the kitchen in search of coffee. With the scent of the brewing beans and the thrumming of the percolator, I take stock of the fridge and decide on cereal again. A full bowl of Captain Crunch, I sit at the table and let chirping of the birds outside and the coffee brewing bring me a small amount of peace. At my apartment, the only wildlife I heard was traffic. Wanting to hear more, I finish up my bowl, make a big cup of coffee, and grab a blanket from next to the couch before settling into one of the wooden chairs on the front porch in the brisk morning air.
“You sure do like to wake up early.” Sage’s sleep ridden voice comes from the door as he steps outside. I glance up to see he has his own cup of coffee in his hand. He takes the chair next to mine and relaxes back.
“Even working so late at night, I always found myself waking up as soon as the sun hit my eyes. It’s like my body refuses to waste the day.” I take a sip of the hot beverage and let it trickle down my throat.
“Can I take
you to see your old man today?” he asks, but I shake my head.
“I’d like to see Jason. Does he know I’m here? I don’t even have his number.” I say the last part more to myself than anything. The lack of communication between me and my brother wasn’t deliberate. I just didn’t want to chance calling him and having Gin answer.
“Yeah. I’ll let him know. He should be by sometime. Has things to do at the clubhouse.” His words have my hackles rising.
“What?” I snap, turning to face Sage. “Is he a member? Did Gin let him patch in to this fucking club?” Sage’s features turn instantly. If I weren’t so mad about my brother getting caught up in this life, I would be a little more scared.
“You need to back up a step, kid. I won’t have you talking about my club like that or disrespecting your old man. You hear me? Or there’ll be worse than just an ass whoopin’ comin’ your way.” He stands to his feet, and I do the same in defiance.
“He’s just a kid. He doesn’t need to be part of this life. That is why he got shot!” I lose myself to my anger—anger toward Gin, this club—and hurl it all at the man standing next to me, deserving or not. “It's why Gin is going to die! Because of this club!” I yell, and in a flash, the coffee cup falls from my hand, spilling onto the deck with the shattering of the ceramic mug as it meets the concrete step. My world is turned upside down as I’m tossed up over Sage’s shoulder and carried into the house kicking and screaming. All my protests do nothing to deter him from bringing me into the bedroom I stayed in and tossing me onto the bed. Before I can right myself, he takes my body and positions it over his knees. With one hard whack to my butt, he starts his spankings, and he doesn’t hold back. I try to force away the heat that blooms low in my belly, but it doesn’t work. Instantly, between my legs grows slick and my heart rate spikes with each slap of his palm against me. He won’t let up, and I find myself not wanting him to.
